Hide And Seek
by blackbirdxsinging
Summary: Max and his little sister Abbey are very close. They've always been sending eachother letters, but when Abbey mentions a girl who hits her to get over Max, they both realize they're going to have to be much closer. Post ATU.
1. Chapter 1

Dear Max,

Jana slapped me this morning before school, and she told me to pass on the message to you. You can be such a dick sometimes, all these girls that you cheated on are taking it out on me.

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Love you.

_Abbey_

--

Dear Lucy,

I'm glad to hear that you and Jude are fine. Please tell Max to write to me soon.

_Abbey_

--

Dear Max,

Jana asked if I passed on the message after school. I told her I did. She didn't believe me and she slapped me again so I would remember to tell you.

The parents are getting so annoying, since you've been gone, they've been bugging the shit out of me, telling me to pick colleges, to save up… God, it must have sucked being the oldest child, at least I knew what was coming.

Miss you!

_Abbey_

--

Dear Max,

I laughed through your whole letter. A little too loud. Mom looked over my shoulder, wondering what was so funny, and she was shocked at the things you were saying. She says clean up your language and get a steady girlfriend. Oh, and she's going to read over your letters from now on. Not mine, thank god. On the return address, write Lucy's name. She wont suspect anything. But you probably shouldn't write about how big your teachers jugs were in college. Especially if your teachers happened to be men.

Anyways. I know that you don't like me blabbing about Jana, but I don't talk about it to anyone else… so… She spilled her coke down my dress today. I had to lie right to moms face when she asked what happened. I told her that Lizzy spilt some on me. It was pretty convincing because Lizzy's such a clutz. She didn't believe me when I told her that I told you, so write something in your next letter for her, okay?

Love you.

_Abbey_

--


	2. Chapter 2

"Max?"

The blonde looked up from his cereal. "What?" He said, his mouth full of orange crumbles.

"You got a letter… from Abbey."

Jude tossed the letter on the table, and Max eyed it suspiciously before setting down his spoon and tearing the envelope right away.

"That goddamn Jana." Max muttered under his breath, and then stood up. "Jude!" He called.

"What?" He asked, slipping off his shoes and walking into the kitchen.

"Where's the paper?"

"I don't think we have any." He replied, looking around.

"You're full of shit, you're an artist."

"I have my sketch paper…"

"Great, pass it over."

Jude didn't like the idea of sharing his paper with Max, but the eagerness on his face and the fact that he was using it to write to his little sister made him somehow change his mind.

Max took no notice in Jude's hesitation as he tossed him a paper from his room.

"Thanks." Max murmured, taking it over to the table where he was writing.

_Dear Abbey,_

_Jana's a fucking bitch. Sorry mom, who is probably going to read this, but she is. I'm sick and tired of the way she's treating you. She has no bloody rights. I mean, you're a gorgeous girl, and you're smart, and you kick ass at singing. I've heard Jana sing, and there's a reason she left school. She couldn't pass anyways, she's horrible at singing. But you have talent, you belong there, and you shouldn't let anything that Jana says, or does, get to you. She's all bark and no bite. If she ever lays a hand on you again, I swear, I'll get on a train and beat the living shit out of her._

_Anyways._

_I think that Jude's going to propose to Lucy. It's hard to imagine. I mean, shit, Lucy, all grown up and married. It's… crazy. But at least I'd be able to see you again, it's been forever. Since I'm putting Lucy's name on the return address, I should be able to tell you about this girl I saw last night._

_But I probably shouldn't, seeing that you're still in college._

_I'm writing on Jude's artist paper, and I can't get another sheet out of him. Cheap bastard. I miss you, and I love you, you know it._

_Your big brother,_

_Max_

He looked up, and folded the paper. "JUDE!"

Jude didn't walk out of his room, like he usually did, but Max could hear his page rip off and being crumpled, so he knew he was in there.

Max stood up and pushed open the door to Jude's room.

"Jude!"

Jude looked up, annoyed. "What?"

"Where are the envelopes?"

Jude pushed a hand through his hair. "Uh… I think that I saw them on the uh… counter, but that was a while ago…"

"Thanks." Max sped out of Jude's room and into the kitchen. He looked around the counter and then opened the drawer. He pulled a few things out of the drawers and tossed them on the floor before finding a box of envelopes. There were two left.

Max pulled one out of the drawer and scribbled Abbey's name on the front. He wrote the return address and then looked at his letter.

Jude walked in the kitchen, and looked at the mess on the floor. "Bloody 'ell, Max."

The Liverpudlian walked over to the pile of crap on the ground and kicked it.

"I didn't even know that we 'ad all this stuff." He mumbled.

"Watch what you're kicking, if one of Prudence knickknacks is in there and you break it, all hell will break loose, and you know it."

Jude bent over and smiled. Max eyed him.

"What are you so cheerful about?"

Jude picked something off the ground and tossed it at Max. Immediately he grinned as well.

"Wow." Max said, smiling, turning it over in his hands. "Good ol' Admiral Halsey. I didn't know we still had this."

"Why wouldn't we have it? It's been on your car keys ever since we came to New York."

Max smiled again and looked at the little keychain of a man in a bright blue suit.

"How did this get lost?" Max wondered aloud, and was interrupted by Lucy bursting through the door.

"God, it's depressing at work." She sighed, kicking off her shoes. "Did you get the mail, Jude?"

He looked up at his lover and nodded. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"What was so depressing at work?" Jude asked Lucy. Max stuffed the keychain in his pocket, obviously forgotten by Jude.

It was funny that a tiny man dressed in a blue suit represented Max and Jude's friendship. In no way whatsoever did it relate to either one of them, and it's not like Max bought it at a significant time in their relationship… It was just… there. Hanging off his car. In his jacket pocket. Mixed in with the dirty laundry.

"Oh, you wouldn't believe it. This man threw his burger at me because there wasn't enough mustard. I mean, people can be such jerks, sometimes."

Jude laughed a bit, and then Lucy smiled. "That is pretty bad." He said.

"So what have you been doing lately? Any good drawings?"

"Mm, a few."

Max sealed the envelope and picked the stamps off of Abbey's envelope. He carefully stuck them on his own envelope, therefore eliminating the purpose of purchasing his own. He stood up and kicked the mess on the floor into the corner before slipping on his shoes.

"Want to go out for dinner tonight?" Jude asked, and Lucy smiled.

"Sure. Where? When?"

"How about right now? It's six. That's a good time for dinner."

Jude glanced over at Max briefly and smiled.

"Okay. Just give me a few minutes to get ready." She walked in her room, and Jude walked over to Max.

"Do you think that I should ask her?"

Max looked over at the door that was shut tight, where Lucy was changing. Then he nodded.

"Are you sure? Is it a good time?"

Max shrugged. "If you love the girl, then just marry her, man. It's not like she's going to say no."

Jude looked back at the shut door and then leaned closer to Max. He reached deep in his pocket and pulled out a sparkling ring.

"I spent a lot on this." He whispered. "She doesn't know."

Max looked at it, and then back up at Jude. "Damn." He said, and then laughed a bit. The door opened to Lucy's room and Jude shoved it back in his pocket.

"You ready to go?"

She nodded. "What are you going to do, Max?"

"Mail a letter." He held up Abbey's letter. "Maybe call her, or something."

Lucy put on a disappointed face. "Couldn't you call her when I'm here? I would love to talk to her."

Max thought about how 'thrilled' Abbey would be to talk to her perfect older sister. She barely even mentioned Lucy in her letters; she wouldn't really have anything to say over the phone. "Sure." He lied.

"Okay. Bye Max."

"Bye Luce. Bye Jude." They stepped out of the door and Max waited a few minutes before taking a walk to the mailbox and the phone.


End file.
